BY BARNABAS MANEBONA
FINALLY, Central Islands Province Assembly has passed $12,000,000 million-plus for its 2022/2023 Financial Year ‘Budget’.
Central Islands Province (CIP’s) Provincial Assembly met and passed the ‘Budget’ yesterday.
According to CIP’s Hon Speaker Francis Moa speaking to Sunday Isles today, the Recurrent Budget is $6,000,000 million-plus while the Capital Budget is also $6,000,000 million-plus making up to the $12,000,000 million-plus being passed for 2022/2023 ‘FY Budget’.
“We passed the Financial Year (FY) Budget under the presence of the majority of the Assembly,” said Moa.
It is understood that after the controversial political impasse that CIP’s Assembly had for two months ending in a dead-lock, the provincial FY Budget was almost not passed approaching the deadline given by the ministry of the provincial government which is tomorrow on June 15.
If that was the case, the Ministry of Provincial Government and Institutional Strengthening (MPGIS) should have to consider the province’s position after tomorrow.
Eventually, Mr. Moa said the resignation of two MPA’s from the previous Executive Government with the help of the Hon Speaker facilitating everything under the advice of the Attorney General (AG) Chambers and legal advisor of MPGIS saved the situation.
“So on behalf of the Assembly of CIP, I thank the two MPAs who made the decision to salvage the status of the province and other stakeholders for making possible the package for the ‘Budget’,” said Moa.
“June 15 was the lapse date for the passing of the ‘Budget’. If it was not passed reaching tomorrow then the provincial Assembly would be facing dissolution. Meaning, that the province would not be operating any further.
“Now given that the ‘2022/2023 FY Budget’ is passed saving the whole situation, CIP will continue with its development service for its people.”
From an additional report, ousted CIP Premier Hon Stanley Manetiva and four MPAs from his previous Executive who was defeated during last week’s Motion of No Confidence (MONC) did not attend the meeting.
Despite such, the 8 members who were present formed the quorum and went ahead passing the ‘FY Budget’.
“All of the 8 members present voted for the ‘Budget’. The total number of members in the Assembly is 13 so the 8 members present is more than the absolute majority needed to pass the ‘Budget’,” said the report.
Meanwhile, the passing of the ‘FY Budget’ has rest fears of uncertainty from the people of CIP that the 2022/2023 ‘FY Budget’ might not be passed, causing any unwanted consequences not only for the suspension of the Assembly but also for the province.
Despite there is still a division between the MPAs of CIP after the recent ‘Public Accounts Committee (PAC) resignation saga’ and ‘MONC’, the people of CIP through Ngella’s social media platform ‘Ngella Forum (NgF)’ call for their leaders to work together.
“Come together as leaders, humble yourselves, sort out your differences and work together to move our province forward in terms of development,” said NgF.
More development updates from CIP’s Assembly are expected in the coming days according to the current CIP Executive Government under Premier Polycarp Galaigu’s leadership when speaking to Sunday Isles this morning.
